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Friday, 9 July 2010

Comment of the Day

No, no, no, not this one, but this one here:

Here's sharing with you the joy of blogging.

Someone left a not-so-nice comment on my blog post here. I do get this kind of comments once in a while. I usually get a little upset initially (yes, go ahead call me 小气, petty-minded), but I would choose to ignore them and not be bothered with it...after an hour or so ;)

Although that post was written almost 3 years ago, to a certain extend I agree with that person's comment about me not feeding my kids with nutritious food. I wrote a rather childish reply (^^''')...even though I know that the person would likely not return to my blog. After posting my comment, I thought the case is closed. Little did I know it is a classic case of the Chinese saying '赛翁失马,焉知非福' (aka 'The Lost Horse' in Chinese folktales).

I received the second comment from Cassie the next day. I felt so touched with her words! If you are a blogger like me, and if you are unlucky enough to encounter similar experiences, I am sure you will feel that everything you have put up on your blog is worth the effort and time. It is those words from readers like you that kept me going...and I am so glad that I have found another friend. Dear Cassie doesn't have a blog, and if I don't keep one, I will choose to be a silent reader, like many non-bloggers out there. I believe, it is not 'second nature' to leave comments on someone else blog if you are a non-blogger. The point I want to make is, she has chosen to break the silence just to 'stand-up' for me and cheered me on. I really don't know whether I would be able to do the same.

I am no good with my words at all. With my limited vocabulary, I am not able to express my heartfelt thanks to her in my reply...and I tend to digress in my replies! So, I am dedicating this post to Cassie to show my appreciation. We are total strangers and yet I felt like talking to a friend next door. I used to find it amazing that my mother could chat up with a stranger at the market as though she knew that person for ages. Now I know why aunties can 'click' so easily!

I feel for you... people can be so demanding at times. It's no joke keeping up a blog and on top of that need to juggle household chores and taking care of the kids. Don't mind these people, I honestly admire you for the effort and time that you put in your blog.

I guess not everyone can appreciate the effort we blogger put in our blog for others to enjoy. Sometimes we do know that the food we prepare ain't all that healthful, organic and nutritious to the family...but we just want to try it for crying out loud! I too had such experience receiving unfriendly comments from Anonymous readers before, but we are better then that as to let them leave a mark on our happy life. :) Cassie is a sweet reader, and I believe you have many more silent supporters out there standing by you. So close one eye about those ignorant people and appreciate the better things of life....like Cassie and many of your friends out there. :) Cheers!

That person who left you a negative comment, got nothing else to do in his or her life. It is hard to maintain a blog, I know that for a fact. It's like letting people have a look on what's on your family table every now and then. It is a honour to visit not a right! Keep posting...I look forward on visiting everytime you got a new post.

life is not like a smooth road.. there will be ups and downs.. Not to worry. To own a wonderful blog is not that easy..and that too with so many readers...most people appreciate the good work because they know how difficult it is to make or bake it so perfectly.. some who does not know the ABC of cooking keeps on telling such non-sense. But never to worry... u can be proud and keep ur head high because from these comments u can know that there are people who envy ur good work.. We bloggers too know that we cannot live just by eating cakes and cookies.Surely we know that a well balanced diet is required for ourselves and our family..Let them say whatever they like,,and we will still keep on adding more and more mouth watering recipes...Three cheers to all my wonderful co-bloggers.. Hip Hip...

I love all your wonderful bakes and would always attempt to try yours rather then my baking class I've attended cos yours are simply so easy to follow and most of it so yummy. You always make a point to answer the questions with clear explainations and Real Time answers ! - Thankyou so much !I'm a working mum and you really inspire I believe most of the mothers out there, how you can show your love to your dear ones by baking a wonderful treat to them. You make its so fullfilling and easy ! You make me wanna to quit my job ...LOL.

I think all moms want to give their kids good and nutritious food, who doesn't know the goodness of wholewheat, veggies, brown rice etc...but any Mom out there would tell you what a challenge it is to feed our kids these items, the blogger who sent you that nasty comment probably isn't a mom herself. It takes time to cultivate our kids' tastes and preferences and sometimes it is a bit of a give and take. So HHB, don't bother abt such comments, you are only accountable to yourself and your children. Keep up the good work !

I am not too good at words, worst than you, and recently i accidently hurt one of the blogger with my poor vocabulary (even she did not said but I can sense her unhappiness), so I very carefully leaving comment from now on or not leaving at all.Cassie was telling the truth, your effort by sharing all your lovely recipes should be praised!! I glad to know you via blogging, Happy Blogging and keep up the good works!

I too am a Silent regular visitor here in South Africa. I love your recipes. Please keep them coming. I have never assumed that you only feed your kids cake (although they would have been damn lucky kids!!!).

People really need to get a life!!!! Your recipes are so much better then me buying sweet treats from the local supermarket or packets of premade cookies. Lets not even start on how my sons love baking with me and the real memories that we are making.

My advice, go through your recipes and chose the most decadent. The richest, most chocolate, sickenly unhealthy. Make a whole pan full and eat it until you cannot eat any more. Then grab your kids and feed it to them. When you are all sitting there enjoying your wonderful sugar high, feel sorry for this pitiful soul!

Hi HHB, there are just tend to have some insensitive and negative people out there so just ignore them. The most important thing is there are a lot more of the people out there that supporting your blog, I am one of them :).

Don't be upset by all those neg comments. Since they want to leave a comment they they shld at least leave their name and not "Anonymous". I also received a lot of neg comments & emails before. Like you i might feel upset but in another way, I treat it as a compliments that at least they take the time to read what i wrote and post... lolz.... but just that they don't dare to leave their NAME. So pls continue with your great work.. and just ignore those comments....

I'm disgusted from such rudeness... this is your space and you don't have to worrie about such person. I'm not a mom yet, but I understand the importance and the difficulties to feed your family with healthy but tasty meals. And I don't think everyone will post about how to peel an apple or stone a peach, so let them speak to the hand and feel all our appreciation in your hard work. Your kids have a great mom, for surehugsMartina

Another silent regular visitor - SAHM in Syd. You're doing a marvellous job as I cannot do what you're doing. If one is not contented/happy with that particular blog, the obvious solution wld be to stop reading. One doesn't have to leave any nasty comments as they themselves are not capable of what you have achieved. Do not despair as we think you're wonderful, generous & extremely gracious in sharing your experiences & recipes. Keep it up!

Hi HHB, I believe you shouldn't feel lousy anymore after reading so many support message from your blog silent readers. I'm believe majority of the mothers who cook have a big challenge of feeding their child with right food. Most of the time, nutrition food is less tastier. It's also a big challenge to cook for a small family! We can't totally ban junk food for children. Otherwise they will become very hungry of it when they are outside, like in school. At home, at least we use better quality ingredients, like corn oil or trans fat free margarine, and less chemical, less salt and often even preservative free. So ignore that ignorance message and have a nice weekend! Cheers! - mandarin speaking Sue

HHB, I got my first 'hate' comment a couple of months back.It was not just mean, it was literally a 'hate' comment - a supporter of graffiti arts wished that my 'shitty' cupcakes would burn and cursed that I would burn my fingers and my kitchen! It was shocking at first read but it got rather hilarious... goes to show that there are still hoards of childish and disrespectful people out there.

It's funny to see that when a person were to leave a nasty message, they almost always signs off as "anonymous". I would like to tell those people, if you intend to write a nasty note, at least have the decency to leave your name ... oh wait ... they are not decent people. They are one side minded lunatics! Well, that's says it all!

I, like many of your FANS do enjoy your blog. We are smart enough to know we can't shield our children from all things/foods. Instead, we teach them to eat smartly.

By exposing them to "all" foods we are teaching them also. One day, I saw my son talking to one of his friends.

The other boy obviously had never had candy. He was soo excited about it, even grabbing more after tasting it. He gave one to my son, telling him how tasty it was.

Instead my son turned to him and said, "It's okay, I prefer the one my mommy gets for me. I'm going to save my tummy for that".

Hi there! I think that anomymous gives people to express their thoughts without revealing who they are in hope the the other may get the message and may consider it. Now this person doesn't know who you are in person so he/she shouldn't be able to judge so quickly. I do believe that you can raise your kids properly as you don't post sweets everday. I'm also sure that next time something like this happens you'll already be prepared as you've already faced these kinds of comments. Stay strong and don't let things tip your mood without your permission.

i have been following your blog for a long time n i love how u simplify baking/cooking for a amateur like myself. ignore those negative comments. some people have nothing on their hands but to type such mean stuff.keep it up =)

Hi,Also another silent reader. Just want to say that although it's true that your recipes feature mostly cakes and white refined flour and sugar, i'm sure that that's only ONE part of what your kids eat. Besides, this is your baking blog!!! You never said this is the health promotion website right??

And like someone said, better to have your kids eat homemade goodies than the same thing made commercially with even more sugar PLUS additives and goodness knows what else.

the person was probably just trying to have fun in a mean way, so just laugh it off.

Most of all, i want to tell you bravo! i found your blog a long time ago, and although i do not follow it regularly, i drop by from time to time and i'm amazed how you've improved!! You've made so much effort, and all this while juggling with all the other things in life. Not everyone can do this.

share this episode with your family and laugh it off, better still, laugh it off while tucking into some cake :))

hi I just want to say a "big thank you" to you. my girl (10 yrs old) also likes yr blog very much, esp. the 'sweet treat'. Every time, when i do a new recipe , she will ask : " do u learn from the sweet treat mum?". A simple word, " you are great".

I know how you feel cos I received a comment like that not long ago. Some people are simply mean and have nothing better to do than leaving this kind of hurtful comment, without the guts of leaving a real name. I am happy that someone stands up for you!You are a great and cool mum ok!

The internet has allowed people to hide behind anonymity, and what a mean thing to say. Cooking is hard enough, but cooking and blogging?! Good for you for keeping it up and working hard to create healthy meals for your family!

loves greetings from Germany first times completely (Hanover). I always read your blog. It is not easily your prescriptions after to cheeks in Germany it other food gives there. BUT the Ergebnise is, which I educate super. I (mother of a 3 year old daughter) do not have even a cook blog (hint4_0_ hint) also in Germany am easy it always. I get also not only beautiful comments. Head highly - you are super. Make further in such a way, as had. Be not annoyed at such comments.

I have being your blog supporter for quite a while but never left any words behind. Can't help this time :)

I know it's easy said than to actually do it (ignore those stupid comment). But I honestly feel regardless what you feed your kid with, as long as it's cook with motherly love(priceless). it's definitely way better than any food regardless which top chef cooked it. Plus you cook it from scratch! How many family actually bake their own bread when it can be easily access just by popping into the supermarket? I still can't master the skill of bread making!!! I find it so hard!!!

Keep up the good job! I will always be looking out for new entry on this blog :)

I know how you must have felt to receive such comments because I had such an experience before. It took me a long time to return to writing. The internet is a free world and 'anonymous' can choose to go away or disagree agreeably.

Whatever the case, yours is the first blog I check everyday for new ideas, because I am ,er, experimental and not a superb cook.

Carbohydrates has always been the Asian diet. Whatever food types, moderation is key to good health. My girl helped me with my most recent baking and licking the leftover cream in the mixing bowl, she commented she's the most fortunate girl in the world because non of her friends can do this because their mothers don't cook.

Like mine,your kids are lucky. This is one aspect that will never be on the blog and 'anonymous' will never understand.

Wow, what a thoughtless post by an ignorant fool who didn't even have the guts to identify himself/herself or perhaps it is just plain itself!!

HHB you go on doing what you have been doing and that is testing and posting great recipes, and running a great blog. And damn is the fool who thinks that what you post here are the only things you feed your family. Only a dumbdumb would think that what are posted on cooking blogs are the only things one eats on a daily basis.

All the best to you and yours. Keep your chin up, keep up the good work. I for one, will definitely keep on visiting your blog and enjoying your postings (albeit silently, up till now...).

HHB, as for my case, I've yet to receive degrading comments. BUT, I've been constantly spammed with irrelevant comments. I suppose you've been receiving comments of this sort!? You know, even with spams like these are intolerable! It's good enough of not requiring visitors/readers to enter codes of some sort in order to leave a comment. Still, these irresponsible individuals are abusing our good intention! I just feel so bad. Every day coming home from work, my mailbox is flooded with spams, some of them with virus! Wasting my time clearing up trash like this. *Sob*

On the other hand, I think all bloggers would agree that the more the comments we receive, the cheerier we get, especially with those comments in which I can TRULY sense that they've read whatever (nonsense) I've written. (I'm long-winded in my writing, I've gotta admit. And, I respect the fact that each blogger sees blogging in a different light; hence, unique styles.) You're so right that it is the words from our readers that keep us blogging. I can totally empathize with on that as I'm NOT earning, monetarily, from blogging. I'm blogging to reach out to people of the same interests. We've noticed that blogging has made us friends from across the world. If it weren't for blogging, I wouldn't even have come to know of your existence, and vice versa.

When I think back, it was all you bloggers who have taught me so much about cooking and baking, about food photography and styling, about how not to be selfish. Remember I've already started emailing you about my Le Cordon Bleu dilemma long before I started blogging? Way back then, as I was picking up knowledge on baking and cooking, I chose to ONLY read and not leave any comment. Come to think of it, I think it was VERY selfish of me to do so. That was why I chose to blog to break the silence.

Dear HHB, I know blogging can be tiring, especially when we choose to REALLY write. (On average, it takes me 2~3 days to put a post up. I try to avoid typos in my write-up due to the nature of my job now; otherwise, 我會覺得很丟臉啊！我本身就是靠寫稿為生的.絕對不能出錯！其實，那裡的確是有種壓力，不過是種正面的推動力！) You do write, that's why I can feel emotionally connected to you even though we've never met each other. And, that's what that keeps me coming back to reading your words because I learn something every time, not just about cooking or baking, but also emotionally as I age. I'm touched by your words! You're a SUPERB writer! (Growing outta adolescence doesn't mean I'm stuck. Haha!)

Like evryone else, I visit your blog for recipes and inspiration to cook.

There is no such thing as a perfect mom who cooks healthy food EVERY single day for their kids. Once in a while a little fried food here, a little sugar there doesn't kill.

I feel sorry for that person's child (if he or she has any) cos our life on this earth is so short. A little indulgence here and there makes our already hard life a little bearable and liveable, don't u think?

i have been a silent reader and really admire yr baking skills. I think yr kids are lucky to have freshly baked pastries and cakes. I am a SAHM and one of the grouses of being SAHM is meal planning. Most pple expect home-cooked food to be healthy, free of gluten, MSG, artificial flavouring etc. Frankly speaking, it is inevitable that we make use of these "unhealthy" ingredients to entice our kids to eat our cookings. I doubt my kids will gladly finish up the wholemeal sandwich if I do not add in ham or bacon? Like you, I believe I had tried my best to cut down "unhealthy" stuff by reducing the salt/sugar content, opting for healthier yoghurt instead of cream milk, using fresh ingredients as much as possible. At the end of the day, the joy of cooking is to have yr family/loved ones to savour and like yr dishes.

I think that it is when one becomes a mother that one realises how much of a challenge it can be to balance nutrition and taste when it comes to the children.

My girl turned 1 year of age in June 2010 and with her increasing her intake of solids, I do wonder from time to time whether what I am feeding her is appropriate.

It is all well and fine to say that we should cut down on white flour. The reality is that children do not always consume what we feel that they should consume.

When I started cooking porridge for my girl months ago, I used white rice. When a friend advised me to switch to brown rice, I promptly bought organic brown rice to cook her porridge. Guess what? She refused to partake of her brown rice porridge for days. I have since switched back to white rice and I am slowly substituting a bit of the white rice with brown rice.

I feel that what is more important is that the meal is a balanced one. I do not think that it is so catastrophic to consume white flour. It is all about balance - are there veggies in the diet? Is there protein? Vitamins?

For every view that someone takes about something, there will always be another person with an opposing view.

Hi Pebbles, thanks for the comforting words :) You have just brought back those 'fond' memories of me trying to feed my elder son ;) He is a born foodie, I think! It was a hard time trying to feed him 'plain' porridge ie no salt or seasoning added. I have to add in grounded ikan billies, other vegetables like carrots, potatoes, broccoli, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, to make the porridge as tasty as possible. I am lucky that both my kids love vegetables. I have seen kids who doesn't eat vegetables at all.

hi HHB,you must be comforted with so much kind words from everyone over the recent saga! indeed it has stirred up many 'silent' readers to encourage you, and it must be a joy to know your work is greatly appreciated by many across the globe... it doesn't hurt to add on that your blog is the first blog i visit whenever i think it's time to keep my oven/stove busy =) I'm preparing to start a family at the end of the year, and it's good learning from role models (who's still learning along the way :P) who really bothers about the family's nutritional health. putting your words into actions is more important than anything else, and i know it's the love for your family that drives you on, to continue what you're doing now =)